Hearing Aide Compatible Bluetooth Headsets
Are you avoiding getting a cell phone because you aren’t sure it will work well with your hearing aide? There is no need to do that. With the new technology and depending on your degree of hearing loss, it may be possible for you to remove your hearing aide to use your cell phone.
It is possible to purchase a Bluetooth device at the same time you get your hearing aide. This way you will know it is compatible with your hearing aid.
There is a new headset called ELI (ear level instrument) by Starkey that will work with most hearing aids. It is relatively new so you may have to do a web search to find supplies. It goes behind the ear and uses telecoil technology to talk to a telecoil enabled hearing aid.
Make sure that the cell phone you purchase is Bluetooth enabled so that it will sync well with your ELI or another similar device. It should be possible to use ELI but check for compatibility before you purchase a phone. If the phone store can’t help you or if they tell you it should work but I’m not 100% sure, go elsewhere.
A good source might be to check with your hearing aid dealer for suggestions. They probably get questions all the time about Bluetooth devices, cell phones and hearing aids.
If you purchase a Bluetooth device from a phone store generally the headset or ear bud cannot be returned. So make sure that you get assurance in writing that it will work with your hearing aid.
Ask your hearing aid supplier about buying a Bluetooth enabled hearing aid, then you won’t need to search for a separate device, although it will probably cost less to purchase a device that will work with your hearing aid than to have to get a new one.
Cell phone stores exist to make a profit and so most are willing to attempt to put together a system that will work for you. So explain your situation and ask what they can do for you. If they can’t help they will likely refer you to a dealer who can.
Go on line and do a search for best cell phone headset for the hearing impaired. Check out the different units, compare prices and look for brand names that you respect.
Also check to see if there are reviews of these products from other users. That may help your choose one for yourself. Please do not decide on price alone and make sure there is a warranty on your device.
It may not be easy to find the right hearing aid compatible Bluetooth headset that is right for you.
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